Kenneth Glad
A widening campaign by Israel appears to be targeting both Iran’s leadership and the people tasked with enforcing its authority. Alongside airstrikes, reports indicate a quieter effort aimed at unsettling confidence inside the country’s security structure. The result is a confrontation playing out on multiple levels at once.
In recent days, several high-ranking Iranian figures have been targeted, according to The Sun. Among those said to have been killed is Ali Larijani, though details remain based on early or unverified accounts.
Other names cited include Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib. Iranian authorities have acknowledged losses among senior ranks, signalling the scale of the strikes.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said, as quoted by the British newspaper, that further operations are authorised and warned of “significant surprises”.
These strikes form part of a broader pattern that analysts say is designed to disrupt decision-making at the top.
Energy tensions rise
At the same time, the conflict is rippling through global markets.
Oil prices rose sharply in early trading after attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, including the South Pars gas field.
Tehran has warned neighbouring states of possible retaliation, raising the prospect of wider disruption across key oil routes.
The economic reaction highlights how quickly the crisis is extending beyond military targets, with potential consequences for global supply chains.
Reported direct warnings
Separate reporting, drawing on findings from The Wall Street Journal, describes a more unusual tactic: Direct outreach to Iranian security personnel.
One of the calls reviewed outlines how an officer was told: “We know everything about you. You are on our blacklist and we have all the information about you.”
Between such statements, the reporting suggests operatives are attempting to personalise pressure, a departure from the more common use of intermediaries or broad messaging.
In the same exchange, the warning becomes more pointed: “I called to warn you in advance that you should stand with your people’s side, and if you will not do that, your destiny will be as your leader.”
Accounts reviewed by the WSJ indicate the psychological strain this may be causing. The officer’s reply, included in the recordings, reads: “I’m a dead man already. Just please come and help us.”
Israel has previously been linked to covert efforts targeting adversaries’ internal systems, but direct phone contact of this kind, if confirmed, would mark a more personalised approach.
Whether this mix of targeted killings and individual pressure will weaken Iran’s internal cohesion remains unclear. What is evident is that the conflict is expanding beyond conventional boundaries, testing both military strength and internal resilience.
Sources: The Sun, The Wall Street Journal
